The present invention relates to a self-propelled, vehicle-mounted conveyor system used to place concrete or other material in a desired location. More specifically, the present invention is a vehicle-mounted conveyor system that includes powered turntables and lifting mechanisms for both the discharge conveyor assembly and the infeed conveyor assembly.
Vehicle-mounted, extendible concrete conveyor systems, such as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,624,357, have been in use for some time. Vehicle-mounted conveyor systems of this type have been found to be very useful because the concrete, or other material, can be transferred to a location at the work site that may be located a considerable distance from the supply of the material. The vehicle mounted conveyor system has proven to be very useful since the entire conveyor system can be quickly and easily moved by simply moving the vehicle on which the conveyor system is mounted. The conveyor system not only can be moved around the work site, but also includes a discharge conveyor assembly having a telescoping boom that can be extended and retracted, rotated about a vertical axis, and elevated to considerable heights. The vehicle-mounted conveyor system identified above can be moved from a working position to a stowed position and the entire system can be transported over highways to travel between job sites.
The extendible discharge conveyor assembly of the conveyor system includes a moving discharge conveyor belt that is feed by a second, infeed conveyor assembly. One end of the infeed conveyor assembly is positioned on the ground and receives a supply of concrete from a ready-mix truck or other type of delivery means. The infeed conveyor assembly transfers the material onto the discharge conveyor belt, which transport the material to the desired point at the work site.
In currently available vehicle-mounted conveyor systems, the infeed conveyor assembly is mounted to a swivel mechanism above one end of the discharge conveyor assembly. The swivel mechanism allows the infeed conveyor assembly to be manually rotated about the stationary vehicle to position the infeed conveyor assembly near the ready-mix truck or other delivery means. Typically, the infeed end, or loading point, of the infeed conveyor assembly includes a supply hopper and relatively large wheels that allow the infeed conveyor assembly to be pulled or pushed along the ground at the work site. Although the loading point of the infeed conveyor assembly can be moved to the desired location, the infeed conveyor assembly is typically quite large and heavy, which makes manual movement of the infeed conveyor extremely difficult. Additionally, the unevenness of the ground at the work site makes the movement of the infeed conveyor assembly even more difficult and subject to damage.
Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a vehicle-mounted conveyor system in which the infeed conveyor assembly is mounted to a powered, secondary turntable such that the infeed conveyor assembly can be rotated relative to the vehicle using mechanical power. It is a further object of the invention to provide the secondary turntable between the discharge end of the infeed conveyor assembly and a main turret mounted on the vehicle such that the secondary turntable can be operated to rotate the infeed conveyor assembly on the same vertical axis as the main turret. It is a further object of the present invention to provide a powered, primary turntable positioned between the main turret and the vehicle to rotate the main turret relative to the vehicle. Additionally, it is an object of the invention to permit independent operation of the primary turntable and the secondary turntable, such that rotation of the discharge conveyor assembly and rotation of the infeed conveyor assembly are independent from each other. It is a further object of the invention to provide mechanical lifting mechanisms, such as hydraulic cylinders, that are operable to independently raise and lower the infeed conveyor assembly and the discharge conveyor assembly.
The present invention is a vehicle-mounted conveyor system for moving concrete and other aggregate materials from a supply source to a desired location. The conveyor system of the present invention includes a discharge conveyor assembly pivotally mounted to a main turret, which in turn is rotatably mounted to the vehicle by a powered, primary turntable. The primary turntable is mechanically driven and includes controls that permit the user of the conveyor system to rotate the main turret about the vehicle. The discharge conveyor assembly includes a telescoping boom that is pivotally mounted in a cantilever manner to the main turret. A lifting cylinder is positioned between the telescoping boom and the main turret to raise and lower the telescoping boom. The lifting cylinder is preferably a hydraulic cylinder that can be operated by remote or vehicle-mounted controls to raise and lower the telescoping boom about a horizontal pivot axis passing through the main turret.
The discharge conveyor assembly further includes a driven discharge conveyor belt that extends between the ends of the telescoping boom. The discharge conveyor belt receives the desired material and transports the material along the telescoping boom to the discharge end of the discharge conveyor assembly. The speed of the discharge conveyor belt can be adjusted by remote or vehicle-mounted controls to supply the material to the discharge end at the desired rate.
The vehicle-mounted conveyor system includes an infeed conveyor assembly that receives the supply of material from a supply source, such as a ready-mix concrete truck, and transports the material from the supply source to the discharge conveyor assembly. The discharge end of the infeed conveyor assembly is pivotally mounted to a transfer turret, which is in turn rotatably mounted to the main turret by a powered, secondary turntable. Both the main turret and the transfer turret are rotatable about a common vertical axis of rotation. The secondary turntable is mechanically driven by a drive motor controlled by either vehicle-mounted controls or a remote control unit. When operated, the drive motor rotates the infeed conveyor assembly about 360xc2x0 of continuous rotation in both the clockwise and counter-clockwise direction relative to the main turret. Powered rotation of the infeed conveyor assembly with respect to the main turret allows the user to mechanically adjust the position of the infeed end of the infeed conveyor assembly without manually moving the infeed assembly along the ground at the work site.
The primary turntable and secondary turntable are independently operable by the user such that the rotational position of the infeed conveyor assembly and the discharge conveyor assembly can be separately and independently adjusted by the user. The powered rotation of both the primary turntable and the secondary turntable, as well as the raising and lowering of both the infeed conveyor assembly and the discharge conveyor assembly, allows the user to mechanically adjust the position of the conveyor system of the present invention without the use of manual force.
The secondary turntable positioned between the infeed conveyor assembly and the main turret includes a chain sprocket fixed to a mounting plate of the transfer turret. The chain sprocket is part of a bearing assembly and is rotatable about an inner ring fixed to a support platform of the main turret. A drive motor is coupled to the chain sprocket by a drive chain that interacts with the individual teeth formed on the chain sprocket. The drive motor is preferably a hydraulic motor operable in both a forward and a reverse direction. Operation of the drive motor causes the chain sprocket and the joined transfer turret to rotate relative to the main turret to adjust the position of the infeed conveyor assembly.
Various other features, objects and advantages of the invention will be made apparent from the following description taken together with the drawings.